‘Resolve is to defeat (BJP)… no stumbling blocks in Cong-JD(S) talks’

One round of discussion has taken place between the state presidents of the two parties. Our state president H Vishwanath and minister H D Revanna attended this meeting, and on the other side were KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao and deputy CM G Parameshwara. We will be able to finalise the arrangement in a week.

You had said a few weeks ago that the seat-sharing formula for the Lok Sabha elections will be on the lines of the coalition agreement — the Congress getting 2/3 of the 28 seats in Karnataka and the JDS 1/3.

The 2:1 ratio is a benchmark for negotiations. The motive of both parties is to see how we can reduce the BJP’s tally in Karnataka.

So how will you decide who will contest which seat?

This is why it is taking a little longer. We are deciding seat by seat. In some sitting seats of the Congress, if the same candidates are repeated, we may not win many seats — especially in some southern Karnataka seats. Last time the Congress won many seats due to a triangular contest, but the situation is different this time.

An internal meeting of the Congress recently decided they wouldn’t want to give up any of the 10 seats where the party has sitting MPs. Is this a stumbling block in finalising a seat-sharing arrangement between the two parties?

It is the state leadership of the Congress that wants this arrangement. It is their legitimate right. But keeping the larger interest in mind, the national leadership of both the parties will take a call if there are issues in one or two places. When the resolve is to defeat the opposition (BJP), then these stumbling blocks will not be there.

JD(S) leader H D Revanna recently hinted at a friendly fight between the JD(S) and Congress in some seats. Is that being considered?

There is no question of a friendly fight. When we formed the coalition government, we promised the people of Karnataka and the country that we are forming a coalition government with a larger goal. So in my personal view, a friendly fight is not at all a good idea.

The state Congress has indicated that the greatest hurdle to a seat-sharing deal are two seats in south Karnataka — Mandya and Mysuru — with both parties staking a claim on them.

I don’t think there is any problem with these seats. Mandya is traditionally a JD(S) seat. In 2009 and 2014 and in the recent by-election, JD(S) won the seat. The Congress has not demanded Mandya; that’s a media creation. On Mysuru, there are two seats in old Mysore region — Chamarajnagar and Mysuru — of which the Congress has a sitting MP in Chamarajnagar. One seat has to be considered for the JD(S) because the party is strong in the Old Mysore region and has four out of eight MLAs; Congress only has one MLA.

What is the strategy of the JD(S) in north Karnataka where it does not have a strong presence?

We are only asking for seats where JD(S) has a strong presence. For example, in Bijapur in north Karnataka, we have two MLAs and in three seats we were in the second position in the state polls, and we feel we are stronger than our coalition partner. We want to field a candidate in every sub-region of the state. What my state leaders have negotiated with the Congress is that JD(S) should contest in at least one of the five seats in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region. It is up to the Congress to decide which one they want to give. There are two seats — Raichur and Bidar — where we have a strong presence and where we have ministers. However, Raichur is a sitting Lok Sabha seat for the Congress, which it won by a close margin of 2,000 votes in 2014. As I said, the motive is to get maximum seats for the coalition… The JDS can easily win eight seats. I am sure that of the 28 seats, if we go properly, the coalition will get 20 to 25 seats.

Will Mr Devegowda’s grandsons be making their electoral debut?

There is a popular demand in the JD(S)’s strongholds… In Hassan, Mr Revanna’s son Prajwal Revanna is very popular and there is a demand from local MLAs and party workers to field him from there. In Mandya, there is a popular demand this time from the constituency that a young emerging actor (Nikhil Kumaraswamy, son of CM H D Kumaraswamy) should be fielded. There is a chance that Devegowdaji’s grandson will be fielded.

What impact will the post-Pulwama incidents have on the outcome of the Lok Sabha elections? BJP’s Yeddyurappa had said that it would help BJP win 22 of the 28 seats in the state.

The BJP is trying to exploit this situation. They have not fulfilled their promises over the last five years. They want to now divert attention by misusing this situation on the border. Their real face is exposed when their leaders say that this will help them in winning more seats. People want to hear what they have delivered… What is the GDP growth rate? They did not want to discuss NSSO data on jobs. Where are the achhe din? They want to take credit away from the armed forces for their political gains. The PM and his followers are merging the nation and the government. In a democracy like ours, the Opposition has the right to ask questions.